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3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

(No Model.)

I. T. REESE 8c 0. A. WILLIS.

SLEEPING GAR SECTION PARTITION.

No. 595,207. Patented De0.7,1897.

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P. T. REESE & O. A. WILLIS. SLEEPING OAR SECTION PARTITION.

No. 595,207. Patented Dee. 7,1897.

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E. T. REESE 8n 0. A. WILLIS.

SLEEPING GAR SECTION PARTITION.

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UNiTnn STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANKLIN T. REESE AND CHARLES A. WILLIS, OF CARNEGIE, PENN- SYLVANIA.

SLEEPING-CAR SECTION-PARTITION.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 595,207, dated December'7, 1897.

Application filed March 19, 1897. Serial No, 628,293. (No model.)

To (NZ 'whont it 77m concern.

Be it known that we, FRANKLIN T. REESE and CHARLES A.WILL1S,citiZcnS ofthe United States of America, residing at Carnegie, in the county ofAllegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Sleeping Oar Section- Partitions, of which thefollowing is a specification, reference being had therein to theaccompanying drawings.

This invention relates to sleeping-cars, and more particularly to thepartitions which are employed for dividing the difi'erent berths.

The invention has for its object to provide a partition for this purposethat when not in use may be conveniently and readily stored between thebacks of the seats and that may be also readily adjusted to its positionwhen it is desired to use the same and will be held securely in itsplace after being adjusted to its position.

The invention consists in the combination of a casing between the seats,a partition adapted to rest within said casing, and automatic means forelevating said partition.

In describing the invention in detail reference is bad to theaccompanying drawing forming a part of this specification, and whereinlike figures of reference indicate similar parts throughout the severalviews, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective View of a portion of onesection of a sleeping-car, showing the partition adjusted to position atone end of the berth and at the other end the partition lowered toposition between the seat backs. Fig. 2 is a transverse verticalsectional view of a portion of a sleepingcar, showing the partition inthe elevated position, said view being taken on the line X X of Fig. 5.Fig. 3 is a similar View showing the partition in the folded position,said view being taken on the line Y Y of Fig. 5. Fig. 4 is alongitudinal sectional view of the partition, showing a similar view ofa portion of the seat-backs in order to illustrate the securingmechanism, also showing a portion of the car wall and a box securedthereto, on which is fastened the track to guide the partition in itsupward-and-downward movement. Fig.6 is a longitudinal sectional view ofa portion of acar, showing the partition in the loweredposition. Fig. 0is a vertical sectional view of a portion of the partition, showing themovement of the hinged portion in dotted lines. Fig. 7 is a perspectiveview of the track so cured on the rear edge of the partition, and Fig.Sis a perspective view of a portion of the guide which receives thetrack. Fig. 9 is a transverse sectional view of a portion of thepartition, showing the extensible portion of the same arranged withinthe main portion, instead of hinged, as shown in Fig. 6.

Referring now to the drawings by reference-figures, 1 denotes thecasing, which is arranged between the seat-backs and extends upwardtoward the same. This casin g is adapted to receive the partition 2,having a hinged portion 3, said partition 2 having secured on its frontedge a binding 4,which extends downward to the base of or below thehinged portion 3, said binding at extending through an aperture in thefloor and into a tube or casing 5 when the partition is folded and inthe lowered position. On the rear edge of the partition 2 the same isprovided with a binding 6, having a T shaped head which engages in theguide 8, attached to the box or casing 9, secured to the car-wall 10.

At its front or edge next the car-aisle the partition is held Within thecasing by means of hooks 11 11, engaging in slots 11 in the binding 4,pivoted at 19, and having arms 12, abutting against a button 13,extending through a plate 14, which is fastened to the face of thecar-seat adjacent the aisle, the said button being adapted to operatethe hooks 11, said hooks being held in engagement in the slots by meansof the springs 15, abutting against the same and having one end securedto the backs of the seats. Attached to the upper rear corner of thepartition 2 is a cord 16, which passes upwardly in a groove in the innercar-wall and over a pulley 17, suitably supported at or near thecarline, said cord passing downward between the walls of the car and isattached at its lower end to a cone-shaped counterbalancespring 18,which is suitably arranged and supported at or near the car-floor.

In Fig. 9 we have shown the partition 2 provided along its lower edgewith a recess 19,

which is adapted to receive the extensible portion 20 of the partition,the path of travel of which is shown in dotted lines of this view, saidextensible portion being provided with a T-head 21 to prevent itsdropping out of the recess when the partition is raised.

The operation of our improved partition for sleeping-cars and the likeis as follows: WVe will assume that all the parts have been secured intheir respective positions and that the partition is folded between theseat-backs, as shown in Figs. 3 and 5, and it is desired to lift thepartition to the position shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The operator pressesthe button 13 inwardly and forces the arms 12 12 inwardly, thus forcingthe engaging ends of the hooks 11 11 out of engagement with the slot 11,releasing the partition and permitting the cone balance-spring towithdraw the par tition from its casing and hoist the same to itsposition for dividing the berths. As the partition is withdrawn from itscasing between the seat-backs the hinged portion 3 will automaticallyunfold into alinement with the portion 2 as soon as the same has passedout of engagement with the casing, which operation will be readilyapparent, and to return the partition to its position the hinged portion3 is first folded in the position shown in Fig. 6, which will permit thepartition to enter its casing and lie entirely below the top of theseat-backs.

In case the construction shown in Fig. 9 is employed it will be readilyobserved that as the partition is elevated the extension portion 20 willdrop downward into the position shown in dotted lines in this View asthe said partition is elevated, and when lowering the partition theextensible portion will reenter the recess, as it comes in contact withthe floor of the car.

It will be noted that various changes may be made in the details ofconstruction without departing from the general spirit of our invention.

Having fully described our invention, what we claim as new, and desireto secure" by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination with a casing arranged between the seats, of apartition adapted to rest within said casing and automatic meansforelevating said partition to separate the berths, substantially as shownand described.

2. The combination with a sleeping-car, of a partition formed insections, adapted to fold within a casing between the backs of theseats, and automatic means for elevating said partition to separate theberths, substantially as shown and described.

3. In a partition for sleeping-cars and the like, the combination of thepartition proper, composed of sections, a casing to receive saidpartition, a counterbalance-spring, connections between the spring andpartition, a guide for said partitions, and means for holding thepartition within the casing, substantially as shown and described.

4. A partition for sleeping-cars and the like, consisting of sectionsconnected together in a manner to extend to their greatest length whenelevated, a casing arranged between the seat-backs to receive saidpartition, means for holding said partition within the casing, and meanswhereby the partition is automatically elevated and extended whenreleased from its casing, substantially as shown and described.

5. A partition formed in sections connected together in a manner toextend to their greatest length when elevated, and means forautomatically elevating said partition.

6. Apartition formed in sections connected together in a manner toextend to their greatest length when elevated, a casing for saidpartition, means for holding said partition within the casing, and meanswhereby the said partition is elevated when the partition is releasedfrom its casing, substantially as shown and described.

In testimony whereof we affix our signatures in presence of twowitnesses.

FRANKLIN T. REESE. CHARLES A. WILLIS. WVitnesses:

A. M. WILsON, GEO. B. PARKER.

